In 2009, I took a 2-week trip to France by myself.  It was the first time I’d taken a vacation of that duration by myself.  It was also the first trip I had taken across one of the oceans.  It was an exhilarating trip for me, and one in which I derived a lot of self confidence from.  Anyways, I was sitting in an Adirondack chair outside de Blanville, a vineyard outside Pezenas that also offered up its accommodations as a Bed and Breakfast.  I was reading the book “Vagabonding” by Rolf Potts and was glued to it partly because it was telling me that “I too” could travel the world for an extended period of time.  And then it hit me – I really could travel the world for an extended period of time.  First, I would need to make some changes.

It’s 2013, and I’m getting close to taking an extended leave of absence.  It’s taken 4 years for me to make many of the changes required to make this happen.  It’s been a difficult journey as well.  But I feel the need to start writing about my journey:  The sacrifices I’ve had to make, the fears I’ve had about virtually everything and how I’ve overcome them, my realizations of life and happiness.

I’m still making decisions everyday.  I’m hoping that this blog will be organic and touch on a number of topics that are important to me (travel, food, finding your way, etc).  It’s also my hope that my Family, Friends, and yes – YOU will take this journey with me.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself is that I love sharing a good story with those that I care about.

– J